


Stars Need Night

by Denois



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Jewish!Dex, M/M, Minor Injuries, Only Nursey and Dex are main characters, Soulmate AU, Super Powers AU, alternating povs, concussion mentioned as a warning, maybe some others of the team at some point too, no concussions occur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-06-24 10:10:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19721554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denois/pseuds/Denois
Summary: They were on the ice when the final buzzer sounded, establishing Samwell the winners of the Frozen Four. Dex didn’t know what was going to happen next, but he knew that he was going to celly with his best friends because they had done it. They had won and all he wanted to do was bask in that feeling.“Hey, Poindexter? Go to dinner with me next week?”The words were low, barely a murmur in his ear. He swallowed thickly and licked his lips, preparing to reply, then a flash of movement caught his eye.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Shout out to [Draskireis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/draskireis) for the beta read and letting me bounce ideas and helping me figure stuff out.
> 
> This work is going to be all my [unofficial NurseyDex Week](https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/post/186003497745/sexydexynurse-zimmerdouche-zim-tits) works into one fic.  
> 1\. Dinner date/Magic  
> 2\. Asking for help/Running late  
> 3\. New clothes/Shadow  
> 4\. Game night/Lonely  
> 5\. Holiday/Secret  
> 6\. Flora and(or) Fauna/Festival  
> 7\. Sharing interests/Masks
> 
> Soulmates in this au work like this:  
> Kissing your soulmate the first time opens access to the soulbond.  
> The bond can be platonic, romantic, sexual, whatever.  
> The bond can be broken at any time if the people want.  
> Kissing your soulmate the first time also unlocks the latent superpowers inside a person.  
> Those stay unlocked, though they might be stronger when combined with those of the soulmate.  
> So there's a fair number of superpowered people around, but most people don't kiss their soulmate ever or there'd be even more.  
> And most people who do either have minor powers or just don't care about being a hero or villain.  
> There's tech to dampen or contain powers, but it's not super accessible (required to be worn in some situations though, like meeting heads of state, or during competitive athletics).

They were on the ice when the final buzzer sounded, establishing Samwell the winners of the Frozen Four. Dex didn’t know what was going to happen next, but he knew that he was going to celly with his best friends because they had done it. They had won and all he wanted to do was bask in that feeling with Nursey and Chowder. 

Dex whipped his helmet off as he saw Nursey skating for him and opened his arms wide while bracing himself to absorb the impact of Nursey’s full weight. He wasn’t expecting Nursey to launch himself into the air and wrap his legs around Dex’s waist. Dex grabbed hold and managed to keep from dropping him as Nursey wrapped his arms around Dex’s neck and clung to him.

“Fuck, Nurse. You don’t have your helmet on. If I dropped you, you’d probably end up on concussion protocol.”

“Chill. You’d never let me get hurt.”

And, that was true, but when did Nursey realize that? 

“Hey, Poindexter? Go to dinner with me next week?” 

The words were low, barely a murmur in his ear. He swallowed thickly and licked his lips, preparing to reply, then a flash of movement caught his eye. He barely had time to brace himself before Chowder jumped up, still in his goalie pads, and wrapped his legs around Dex as well. Dex shifted so that he was holding both of them while Chowder shouted in their ears.

Dex carried them as long as he could, until the coaches made them line up for the hand shakes. The team surrounded them all through the trophy ceremony, on the bus, at dinner. There was no quieting or calming; everyone was too excited and happy. Dex tried to talk to Nursey, but he couldn’t. It wasn’t until they were in their room and Nursey was going through his skin care routine that they were finally alone again.

“Ok.”

Nurse didn’t look up from where he was rubbing in lotion. “Ok?”

“Yeah. Ok.” Dex gripped the edge of the bed tighter. What’s the proper position to be in when accepting a date when you’re about to share a room with the guy you want to try dating? Maybe he should stand up or go lean casually against a wall. 

The real problem was that Nursey still wasn’t responding in any meaningful way, which was giving Dex a lot of time to think about where he should sit or stand. He was thinking about that to try to drown out the part of his brain that was screaming that Nursey hadn’t even meant to say it, that he’d wanted to ask someone else out, that it was a joke, that it was just the adrenaline from the win, that there was no way in the nine universes that Derek Malik Nurse would ever actually ask out William Jacob Poindexter and mean it.

“Chill.” 

Dex closed his eyes and nodded. After three years, he could translate all of Nursey’s “chills” and he knew what that one meant. Nursey was acknowledging Dex’s comment because he couldn’t place what it was in reference to and didn’t want to admit that. Nursey didn’t remember asking him out. 

“Ayuh, I’m gonna sleep, I guess. We have a flight in the morning, so you should probably try to sleep, too.” Dex turned off the lamp by his bed and climbed under the sheet, facing the wall. 

He was still laying there, trying to shove his unattainable crush back into the corner when the other lamp clicked off. A few moments later it clicked back on.

“Wait. Ok? Ok ok? Next week ok? Poindexter. Are you awake? Is that what you were saying?”

“Ayuh. Don’t worry about it, Nurse.”

“Chill, Poindexter. Just tell me.”

“Yes. But it doesn’t matter. You forgot about it. So, whatever. Just, just go to sleep.”

“You didn’t answer me. I was trying to make it not be awkward. So, I just let it go.”

Dex rolled onto his back. “You clung to me like a koala for fifteen minutes. I kept holding you. Why would you think that was a no?”

“You wouldn’t drop me, no matter what.”

He let out a long sigh. “I didn’t answer because Chowder was about to jump on me too and I needed to catch him. Then he was screaming in my ear.”

“Oh. Chill. That makes sense.”

“Yeah.”

There was a long pause before Nursey spoke again. “So, okay means yes, right?”

Dex closed his eyes and let out a laugh. “Yes. Ok means yes.”

“Chill. You won’t regret it. It’ll be the best date you’ve ever had.”

“Goodnight, Nurse.”

“G’night, Poindexter.”

* * *

It was the worst date of Nursey’s life. He’d knocked his water over before the appetizers arrived. His salad had arrived with the wrong dressing. Dex’s entre wasn’t even the right protein. The dim lightbulb by their table kept flickering and had given him a headache. It had taken thirty minutes just to receive their drink orders. And every time he was about to complain to the server, Dex thanked them instead and then made a comment about knowing how rough it was during weekend rushes. 

Which, ok. That was fair and valid and it wasn’t like Nursey was going to tip them any less. But Dex wouldn’t even let him send back the duck for the chicken that he’d ordered. They didn’t order dessert. 

On the walk home, Nursey shoved his hands into his pockets. He’d jinxed himself. That was all there was to it really. He’d promised Dex the best date ever and now it had been terrible and Dex would never want to go out with him again. 

They walked in silence all the way to the front steps of the Haus. He couldn’t make himself walk up the steps, but how was he supposed to end the terrible date? It’s not like he could expect a kiss, or even ask for another date after this disaster.

“If you wanna come down to mine, I can make coffee like you like. Pretty sure.”

“What?”

“I mean, you don’t have to. Coffee at night’s probably a bad idea. Forget it.”

“You want me to go down to your bungalow? After the date we just had?”

“Ayuh. I mean, date we’re still having? But, like I said. Y’don’t have to or anything. Coffee this late was a stupid idea anyway.”

“I’ve got some wine.” Nursey was desperate to cling to the life line that Dex had just thrown and he nearly lost his chill trying to grab it.

Dex gave him a long look before shaking his head and smiling. “Of course you do.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. I’ll try not to let my unrefined palate diminish my enjoyment.” 

Nursey snorted. “Maybe it’s box wine. You don’t know.”

Dex raised an eyebrow at him. “Is it?”

“...No.” 

Dex smirked and climbed up the steps, holding the door for Nursey. Which, rude. That was clearly Nursey’s job. He hurried up the steps anyway.

“I’ll just run up and grab it and meet you down there?”

“No rush. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“You wound me, Poindexter.”

“No. You do that to yourself.”

Nursey clutched his chest and backed through the door while gaping at Dex. Until his heel caught on someone’s discarded shoe and he started to fall. Luckily, Dex caught him and didn’t say anything, just raised an eyebrow. 

“Chill. I’ll be careful.”

He was very careful going up to his room and then all the way down to Dex’s bungalow. If Dex was willing to continue this date, he might have a chance to salvage it. But not if they ended up at the ER.

The door to the bungalow was closed, so he paused to knock. After a moment, it opened and Dex stared out at him. His hair was ruffled, his shirt was unbuttoned slightly, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. It was a very attractive look, but also very different from the suave confidence of a few minutes before.

“I don’t have wine glasses. I didn’t even think about….” He trailed off and kept staring at Nursey, eyes slightly wide. “Even if I did, they’d probably be the wrong kind. I don’t even know if you have red or white wine.”

“Can I come in?” Nursey shifted slightly on his feet.

“What? Oh! Yeah. Of course.” Dex stepped back and Nursey was able to enter his bungalow for the first time. 

He hadn’t come down to visit, thinking it was best to let Dex have his space after accidentally running him out of their shared room. Now he wished that he had. It really was a full bungalow with the door opening into a small den with built in bookcases flanking a faux mantle around a small space heater. There was even a counter for a kitchenette on the other side of the loveseat. He had to assume the other doors led to a bedroom and maybe even a bathroom.

Nursey let out a low whistle. “This is a really nice place, Poindexter.”

“Oh. Uh. Thanks. I’m sorry about the glasses.” He set a couple of cups on the coffee table and rubbed the back of his neck.

Nursey smiled and took a seat on the loveseat. “It’s chill. But, um, do you have a corkscrew?”

Dex blinked at him for a few seconds before pulling out a multitool and sitting down beside him. “You’re sure it’s not gonna ruin the date?”

It was a good thing Dex had taken the bottle of wine out of his hands or he might have dropped it. “No. It’s fine. I’m glad to see the old Poindexter back though.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Nursey lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Outside you were all suave and smooth.”

“Yeah? Well the smartest, hottest guy I’ve ever met asked me out and took me on the best date of my life. Why the hell wouldn’t I be confident?”

“Best date of your life?”

Dex stared for a moment before dropping his gaze back to the bottle. “Until I fucked up and invited you down for coffee. God, how that must have sounded.” He paused and switched to a British accent, pitching his voice to imitate Eddie Izzard being lascivious. “You wanna cup of coff-ee?”

“I spilled my water before we even ordered.”

“For once, not on me.”

“Our drinks took forever to arrive.”

“I would have gulped it down too quickly anyway.”

“They brought you duck instead of the chicken that you ordered.”

“It tasted a lot better than chicken ever does.”

“But that forced you off meal plan.”

“It’s the off season. I can have a few cheat days.” Dex finally managed to get the cork out and poured some into each of the cups. 

Nursey paused to watch him, hiding his own expression behind his cup as he took a sip. “You really think this is the best date of your life?”

“Ayuh.”

Nursey licked his lips and set his cup back on the table. “Can I kiss you?”

It was a risky move. People never kissed on the first date. Unless they were desperate to find their soulmate for one reason or another. But, honestly, Nursey just really wanted to kiss Dex. It felt like they were finally in sync with one another. 

He watched as Dex’s eyes flicked back and forth a few times while he considered it. 

“I just want to kiss you. Not for….” He lifted a hand to indicate the soulbond and the powers and everything.

Dex swallowed. “Ok.”

“Ok?”

“Yeah. Ok.”

Nursey smiled and leaned in, meeting Dex halfway and letting their lips drag against each other. It was soft and sweet and Dex tasted faintly of the wine and it felt like there was a warmth spreading from his chest all through his body. Too soon, Dex pulled away, but Nursey kept his eyes closed, savoring the feeling. 

“Nurse?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re glowing.”

Nursey’s eyes popped open only for him to have to narrow them again. Glowing was putting it mildly. He was radiating a lot of light. Somehow, the light didn’t seem to illuminate Dex like it did the inanimate objects in the room, but that seemed like a minor point. He was glowing. As much as he hated to do it, he mentally pressed on the warmth in his chest until it receded from his limbs. The light dimmed and then died. 

“So, uh. Guess we’re soulmates.” Dex twitched a corner of his mouth in a nervous smile.

“Guess so.” Nursey paused and licked his lips again. “Does that mean I can kiss you again?”

“Sure.”

“Chill.” He leaned back in to recapture Dex’s mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

Dating Dex was a problem. 

Not because he didn’t want to date Dex, he did. Not because he had to date Dex because of the soulmate thing; loads of people separated from their soulmates at some point after the first kiss. It was a potential, not a guarantee.

No, dating Dex was a problem because it made him happy. Being happy was a problem because now it made him glow. So most of their dates had been confined to the Haus, or specifically, Dex’s bungalow.

But it was the Spring C and there was no way that Nursey was going to miss it. Especially not the first one that he was together with Dex. It was going to be (and he didn’t use this word lightly) transcendental. He just couldn’t risk outshining the sun, or the pyrotechnics of the stage when the sun went down. 

And so, when he was supposed to be meeting Dex and the rest of the team on the Quad, instead, he was sitting in the discrete office of one Mr. Gilbert and checking his watch again. Finally, the man himself entered the room and sat behind his desk. 

“I do apologize for the wait. You understand, of course, the delicate nature of the business. Some things simply cannot be left to assistants.” He gave a tight lipped smile and Nursey returned it blandly.

“Of course. If there is no further delay?” He raised his brows expectantly.

Mr. Gilbert nodded and used a key from his belt to unlock a drawer in the desk, extracting a small wooden box. He used a different key, from a different ring, to unlock the box, carefully opening the lid before turning it to face Nursey. 

“The lack of details in your specifications presented unique problems, of course. However, I believe you’ll appreciate the ingenuity with which we have addressed the main concerns that you provided.” 

Nursey leaned forward to look at the small device. It was about the size of a nickel in diameter, with a thin profile and bevelled edges. 

“Cosmetically, of course, it can be as discreet as you wish. We used titanium to avoid the possibility of metal sensitivity, anodized to your preferred green tone. If I may recommend, the inside of the wrist is usually a safe and convenient access port which can be covered by the band of a watch.”

Nursey nodded.

“It will painlessly link into your bloodstream and inhibit your powers. You were not able to define your power list, so it has the light emission nullification as well as a broad spectrum inhibitor. Pressing the button in the center of the device will activate or deactivate the inhibitor. Once you have...discovered the extent of your powers, we would be pleased to provide you with an updated device tailored to your specific requirements.”

“Chill. So I just stick it in?”

“That is a rather crude way to put it. But yes. You just...stick it in.”

Nursey nodded and took his watch off, laying it on Mr. Gilbert’s desk in order to pick up the device. 

“The insertion points won’t appear until the back of the device is in contact with your skin, so there’s no need to worry about accidental puncture from an errant touch. Just make sure to line it up where you want it to connect before placing it onto your skin.”

Nursey nodded again and tried to carefully align the device with the center of his wrist. When he was pretty sure he had it in the right spot, he moved it the last fraction of an inch and waited for it to connect. 

“It didn’t do anything.”

“Didn’t it?” Mr. Gilbert was smiling again.

Nursey tried to lift the device to reposition, but it was attached firmly. Huh. “Chill.” 

He put his watch back on and stood up. “Thank you, Mr. Gilbert. Your work is impeccable. If there’s nothing else? I’m late for my...next appointment.” Nursey flashed a broad grin.

Mr. Gilbert stood to show him out. “Give your father my best.”

It felt like he’d been doused with ice water. “I trust that client confidentiality extends to family as well? No one will know about this?”

“Quite right, Mr. Nurse.”

* * *

Dex scowled at the couple that were inching towards his blanket. He’d gotten here early and scoped out a premium spot with shade until the sun went down and a great view of the stage and he wasn’t going to give up an inch of it just because Nursey hadn’t arrived yet. 

And Nursey would show up. He was just running late. Sure, he hadn’t texted, even to respond to Dex’s text about the spot he got for them, but he was probably busy. He definitely wasn’t standing Dex up. Nursey wanted to date Dex. He’d told Dex that they were boyfriends. He’d asked Dex out before even knowing they were soulmates, so it wasn’t like he was going to cut and run without even a breakup text. Nursey wasn’t like that. 

Nursey was just busy and running late. He’d show up any minute. He definitely wasn’t in a hospital or a-.

Dex bit the inside of his cheek and pulled his phone out as the shade around him lightened slightly. No new messages. He checked his email to see if his advisor had gotten back to him. Unfortunately, nothing there either. 

“Brah, could you, like, relocate? That’s like, prime couple location, and my lady has sensitive skin. There’s plenty of spots for guys like you.” 

He looked up in time to see the douchebag nod his head towards the distant reaches of the quad, away from the stage. Dex turned to the woman standing next to the entitled jerk. “I’m really sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, my boyfriend also has sensitive skin, which is why I cared enough to get this excellent spot for us early. If this jerk can’t even make you a priority, maybe you should upgrade. The volleyball team is very nice.”

The jerk scowled and stalked off. His girlfriend paused for a moment and Dex pointed towards where he’d seen some of the volleyball team setting up a blanket earlier. She flashed him a smile before disappearing into the crowd.

Dex looked back at his phone before the worry crept in again. He copied the information he sent to his advisor and forwarded it over to Tango with a note asking him if he minded giving it a look over. He still wasn’t sure how Tango did it, but he always seemed to stumble across the oddest mistakes that managed to make it past all reviews.

He tapped the side of his phone and let his gaze drag over the crowd again. The quad was getting really full and it looked like the first act was climbing on stage. His phone pinged with a notification and he looked back at it sharply before deflating when he saw it was an email reply from Tango.

> Uh, looks good, I think? If it’s for a broad spectrum power inhibitor, then you dropped a sign on the 23rd line. If it’s not, um, you still dropped a sign, but what is it for? Also, where are you? No one seems to know.

Dex paused before hitting reply.

> Yeah, senior project idea. Thanks Tango.

One of the musicians strummed a guitar on the stage, getting everyone’s attention as the lead singer stepped up to the mic. Dex let his shoulders droop as he checked his texts again.

Fingers traced down his upper arm and he jerked away until he heard the voice behind him. 

“What is a sexy guy like you doing all alone at the Spring C?”

Dex relaxed against Nursey’s chest as his hands wrapped around Dex’s waist, pulling him close. “My boyfriend was supposed to meet me ages ago. I think he stood me up.”

“Only a fool would keep someone like you waiting.”

“Oh, he’s a dumbass, alright.” Dex laughed at the offended noise that Nursey made. “But he’s worth waiting for, so I don’t mind. I just worry.”

“I’m sorry you worried about me. I’ll make it up to you.” Nursey moved his lips from just behind Dex’s ear to press them against the back of his neck. “I’ll take you to the movies tomorrow. Chill?”

“Won’t that be a problem?”

Nursey lifted his left arm up in front of them before wrapping it back around Dex. “Nah, it’s chill. That’s why I was late, actually.”

He couldn’t see the inhibitor; it was probably under Nursey’s watch band. Which meant that it was top of the line, because of course it was. “Damn, Nurse. That anxious to watch Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2, huh?”

“Hmm. That anxious to take my boyfriend out in public. Can get you one to match.”

“Nurse.”

“Chill. Didn’t think so. But, you _are_ my soulmate. So the offer’s open.”

Dex turned in Nursey’s arms until he could hold his boyfriend as well as be held. “You already give me enough. You know that.”

“Lies.”

Dex rolled his eyes and captured Nursey’s mouth with his own, losing himself in the languid warmth. There was nothing to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr Gilbert looks something like Peter Cushing. Or Boris Karloff if you prefer. He's an older gentleman, wearing an exquisitely tailored suit, with long, thin, clock maker hands. His family has been providing inhibitors and other devices for the wealthy for generations. He's somewhat older now, mid 50s-60s, and no longer participates in the daily operations of his company, however, he still conducts client meetings for a certain echelon, and the Nurse family falls into that group. He knows how to deal with their egos while maintaining the air that if they've sought his services, they need him a lot more than he needs them. He was not, however, prepared for Nursey.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New clothes/Shadow
> 
> There are some minor injuries mentioned in this update, and some descriptions of pain. everyone is ok.

Dex set his screwdrivers down and sat back blinking. His advisor had signed off on the project and agreed that the formulas (with Tango’s edits) were a solid start. He was sure that the theory behind the device was sound. But all the theory in the world wouldn’t help if the materials couldn’t withstand the strain.

Which was why they all used specifically engineered alloys (which were probably created by someone with powers). Dex couldn’t afford those alloys. 

He looked over the device that he had created. Everything appeared to be in working order, if larger than the ones commercially available (another budget constraint issue, smaller parts cost more). A tongue of shadow licked out from his hand and he yanked it back while covering the hand with his other hand. Squeezing his eyes shut, he pushed back on his emotions until he was sure the shadow would be gone. 

With a sigh, he scrubbed his face and then turned on the recording software for his webcam. “Testing prototype one. Thigh band.”

He pushed back from the desk a bit and pulled the hem of his basketball shorts up to expose his left thigh. It seemed like the main portion of the device should be on the outside of his thigh, so he positioned it accordingly and then pressed it to his skin while trying to wrap the band around to attach it. 

He screamed and immediately stopped trying to attach the band. The pain was immense. Fire crawling through his veins. Ice whispering along his nerves. Glass shards exploding beneath his skin. He managed to rip the device off his leg and throw it across the room, where a few pieces broke off and the main body smoldered. 

The relief was instantaneous. The pain wasn’t completely gone, but it immediately dialed back to a bearable level. His leg was shaking and he couldn’t get it to stop, but he rolled himself back forward to the computer. 

“Prototype one: failure. Components broke and overheated on first use. Cannot withstand strain of broad spectrum inhibition. Will examine which components survived intact, if any. Recommend further testing with components of different materials. Alternative option, targeted suppression rather than broad spectrum or full inhibition of powers.”

He swallowed and shut off the webcam before limping into the bathroom for iodine and a bandage.

It made sense. His advisor would hardly approve a senior project idea that he could complete in a week with materials that he obtained by dumpster diving behind the engineering and theater departments. It was supposed to be the work of at least a semester, if not an entire year. The problem was, he didn’t have an entire year. The seniors were kissing the ice in about two hours and Dex needed to be sure he wouldn’t start oozing death shadows all over his friends, or worse, Nursey. 

He paused. Could soulmates kill each other with their powers or did the bond give them immunity to each other? There were bound to have been a few pairs who split and ended up with one a hero and the other a villain. He should look into that sometime.

But for now, he only knew of one other place to get a power inhibitor on short notice, and he needed to go to Faber anyway.

He sent a text to Ford before he left; maybe he’d get lucky.

> You helped the coaches sort old equipment, right? Any chest pads in the toss pile?

He was nearly to Faber before his phone pinged with the reply.

> A couple. You need something off one? They are in the little store room near the visitor locker room.

> Thanks. You’re the best.

He found the pads and other damaged equipment where Ford had said they’d be. One of the pads seemed to have damage to the inhibitor, which meant that he had to be super careful pulling the other one out. No room for error. No pressure.

He held his breath and ignored the way the room darkened around him as he carefully pried the device from its slot in the pads. Once it was out, he took a deep breath then lifted his shirt to press it to his chest. He hissed in another breath through his teeth as it connected with a sting, but it was nowhere near as painful as his own version had been and the pain receded almost immediately. A little bit of gauze and some athletic tape, and it would be nearly undetectable under his clothes.

* * *

Nursey looked at his fingers and flexed his hands with a smile. Dex stepped in beside him and pressed their arms together, so Nursey leaned into him as well. Bitty was walking across the ice now and the alums were all talking quietly, so he leaned a bit closer still.

“Hey, you can’t call me ambulance bait anymore.”

“Hmm. Why? The medics finally refuse to try to keep you alive when you don’t?”

Nursey turned enough that he could see the way the corner of Dex’s mouth was twitching before responding. “Remember how I fell and scraped my knuckles yesterday?”

“I recall you telling me about it. And you insisting that I use the Avenger’s bandages instead of the Insult to Injury ones.”

Nursey held up his hands, wiggling his fingers. “All healed.”

That was enough to get Dex’s full attention, he turned with raised brows. “How? You didn’t go to a healer for those little scrapes, did you?”

“Chill. I turned off my inhibitor earlier and my hands healed themselves.” 

“Huh. That should be useful for you. Wonder if there’s a limit to how much you can heal on yourself….” Dex’s expression turned horrified. “No!” 

Everyone turned to look at Dex’s exclamation, including Bitty kneeling at center ice.

“Am I interrupting you, Dex? Is there a problem? Or can I continue?” 

“Sorry, Bitty. I’m just. I’m just not ready to see you go.” 

Nursey ducked his head and coughed into his arm to stifle a laugh.

Once all eyes were off them, Dex hissed from the side of his mouth. “Do not try to test the limits of your self healing. No hurting yourself on purpose. Please.”

“Wasn’t planning on it, Poindexter. Though I do wonder if I can heal other people.” 

The silence that followed that was oddly heavy but before Nursey could question it too much, Dex pressed even more firmly against his side. “I was trying to get an early start on my senior project earlier and managed to cut my leg.”

“Your leg, huh?” 

Exactly what Dex was doing for his senior project that could make him injure himself was something to consider later, when the image of Dex’s legs wasn’t at the forefront of his mind. Actually, he wasn’t sure how Dex could injure himself at all. Three years of knowing each other and he’d never seen Dex so much as hit his thumb with a hammer.

“Ayuh. My thigh.”

“Well, if you want, I can see if my magic hands can heal you. Later though.”

“Of course. Not trying to advertise for the whole team what powers you have. My bungalow after the rooftop tonight?”

“Chill.”

How long were they supposed to stay on the roof anyway? If Bitty fell asleep on Jack again, would anyone care if they snuck out early?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Game night/Lonely

Nursey was used to being alone. He knew how to be alone in the City. How to be alone in a crowd. The thing was, he wasn’t even alone. His dad was overseas, sure. But his mom was at the house with him. His sister was at a condo nearby. He was working three days a week at a publishing company helping clear the slush pile because his mom thought knowing how to weed out the things with promise would help his writing.

He was in the group chat. Multiple group chats, actually. He had people to talk to. He had things to do. He wasn’t one of those guys who got lonely and mopey as soon as he was away from his boyfriend for more than five minutes.

It had been nearly two weeks.

And Dex was working _all_ the time. Okay. That wasn’t entirely true. Dex texted him on all his breaks and made sure to call him each night before he went to bed, usually sounding exhausted and falling asleep on the phone. It would have been cute as fuck if it wasn’t making Nursey worried about his soulmates health.

He looked at his watch for a moment before pulling his phone out.

> Hey, you working tonight? 

It took a couple of minutes before he got a reply.

> Only around the Haus. Do you need something, babe?

He paused and stared at the last word.

> First, for you to call me babe more often. Second, I was wondering if you wanted to have a date with me.

> 1 - consider it done, babe. 2 - you’re in a different state?

> Skype date. We could watch the game together.

The next reply was slower. He shouldn’t have asked. It wasn’t even two weeks into summer break and he was already being clingy and asking Dex to stop doing important work around the Haus just because he was lonely and missed him.

> It’s chill. You’re busy.

His phone rang a few seconds after that with Dex on the caller ID.

“Babe, please shut up. I mean that in the most loving way possible.” Dex’s voice was music to Nursey’s ears, even if he was grumpy.

After a few seconds Dex sighed and Nursey knew he was rolling his eyes. “You know I don’t mean to not talk. Just… you’re not bothering me.”

“Chill. But you did say you were working around the Haus. So, that’s busy. You don’t have to stop on my account.”

Dex’s snort was inelegant. “You think I wouldn’t rather spend time with you? Fuck, Nurse. I thought you’d noticed that before we started dating even.”

“What are you talking about, Poindexter?”

“Nevermind. Don’t worry about.” There was a lot of noise coming through the phone and Dex sounded far away.

“What are you doing?”

“You got impatient, so you are joining me in getting ready for the game. On speaker phone.”

“Oh. Chill. Are you going to cook something? Switch to facetime if you cook something so I can watch.”

Dex’s laugh was wonderful and made Nursey smile. 

It only took Dex a few more minutes to be ready and they disconnected to switch to skype via computer. Nursey knew his smile was sappy and gooey and he melted a little bit when he saw Dex’s face. 

“There you are.”

Dex’s ears started turning pink. “Here I am.” He ducked his head a little before looking back at the screen again. “You know, I missed you, too.”

“You know, you could just carry me around on speakerphone all the time.”

“Ayuh. Good plan, babe. I’m mowing the lawn at the golf course tomorrow. You should enjoy that.”

“On second thought, maybe only when you’re at the Haus. At the Haus is good. Don’t want to get you in trouble with your bosses.”

Dex smiled. “Thought so. But, maybe we could do this more often. I have off for Shavuot in a few days. I’ll have to participate in _Tikkun Leil Shavuot_ , but we could talk before that.”

“I’d love to spent Shavuot with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The date is May 25, 2017. They will watch the Pens win the conference title in 2 OTs. (Unless Ngozi rewrites history again, but whatever. I'm choosing to believe that the Stanley Cup Final for 2017 is the same as it really was).
> 
> Nursey likes to watch Dex cook. Leave him alone, he doesn't judge your hobbies.
> 
> This one's short and only Nursey's POV. But well, who wants to read 1k words of them being sickeningly sweet to/chirping each other while they watch a game that I didn't watch and have no knowledge of? Everyone? sorry.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holiday/Secret
> 
> TW for flashback with death (not of major characters) and threat of death to children. It's the last few paragraphs. if you want to avoid, stop when Nursey falls asleep.

Dex stared at the cupboard. He hadn’t had a chance to try to bake anything since the end of term. Hadn’t even really cooked much beyond whatever meats and veggies he could pick up on sale and throw together quickly. He’d been too busy working between the golf course, the hardware store, and maintenance on campus. Not to mention trying to keep the Haus in one piece and the work on his inhibitor. Still, he knew that most of the ingredients in that cupboard had been purchased with sin bin money, so when he opened it, he expected to see everything he needed to make cheese blintzes for Shavuot. 

The cupboard was empty. 

He took a deep breath. It was ok. He still had time before sundown. He would just go to stop and shop and get ice cream instead. It was still dairy. 

He snapped a photo of the cupboard and sent it to Nursey.

> no baking show today babe. Gotta run to stop n shop for something dairy, then we can skype whenever.

He wasn’t even to the door when his phone pinged with a reply.

> Rude. What were you going to make?

> cheese blintzes. Probably gonna settle for ice cream. Gotta see what’s on sale.

* * *

Four hours later, Dex was sitting on the green couch with a quart of store brand ice cream in his lap, eating out of the carton. He had The Book of Ruth open beside him so that he could read while he ate and argue with himself between bites. 

He also had his laptop next to him because Nursey said he’d skype him and he still hadn’t heard from him. 

He was in the middle of a particularly heated debate with himself when the door to the Haus opened, which is why he didn’t notice until Nursey walked into the room. He stopped mid sentence to stare as Nursey grinned at him and then carefully lowered a tower of boxes onto the coffee table.

“What are you doing here?”

“Um, helping my boyfriend celebrate the holiday?” Nursey’s smile dimmed a little and started edging towards chill. “I got cheesecake from Susan Sez. But then you said that you were going to make cheese blintzes. So I thought you’d want those. But they didn’t have any, even on the Shavuot menu. So I went down to Russ and Daughters because a lady heard me ask about the blintzes at Susan Sez and she said that Russ and Daughters had farmers cheese blintzes on their regular menu down at the Jewish Museum. I had them packed on ice to bring them up here. They should still be good.”

Dex stared up a him. 

“Was that not okay? I can go…”

“Babe. Shut up.” 

Nursey’s mouth clicked shut and without looking away from him, Dex carefully moved the ice cream to the table and stood up so that he could drag Nursey in for a kiss. 

“I can’t believe you’re here.” 

“How else was I going to make sure you had cheese blintzes? I told you. I wasn’t going to let you celebrate the holiday alone.”

“You’re going to be bored, but I’m glad you’re here.”

“Why would I be bored? I have New York cheesecake, my boyfriend, and explicit permission, nay, a requirement, to argue with him.”

“You’re planning to argue with me for Shavuot?”

“Yep. I studied. Got my arguments planned out. You can’t just go into an argument without a plan.”

Dex raised an eyebrow. “You could’ve fooled me.”

Nurse pushed on his hips gently and Dex allowed it to knock him back down onto the couch. “You wound me, Poindexter. You wound me.”

“How come you’re babe now but I’m still Poindexter?” Dex reached up and grabbed Nursey’s hand to pull him down onto the couch next to him.

“Angel Eyes? Snookie Bear?” Nursey leaned in and kissed him again before twisting around and lying with his head in Dex’s lap. “Let’s talk about Ruth and you can feed me some of that cheesecake, how’s that sound my sweet apple blossom?”

* * *

Hours later, they still hadn’t eaten all the cheese blintzes and cheesecakes that Nursey had brought, but Dex had taken the time to put the ice cream away and most of the other perishables. Nursey didn’t seem to have prepared for an actual all night study session, and his replies were getting less frequent and were interrupted by yawns, so Dex tried to continue quietly to himself while his boyfriend continued to lay in his lap.

“D’you ever figure out your powers, Dexabear?”

Dex clenched his hand around a tendril of darkness and looked down at Nursey, but he had his eyes shut and was nuzzling into Dex’s leg. 

“No. Maybe I just don’t have any.”

“Nonsense. My soulmate. Maybe just like, impervious to bullets. That sounds like you.”

The laugh that Dex managed to force was thin and hollow. “You planning on testing that?”

“Nah. But I hope it’s true. You always try to keep me safe. Need something to protect you.” 

After that pronouncement, Nursey rolled over and pressed his face into Dex’s stomach before falling asleep.

For a moment, he was a mite again, watching in horror as the thick ropey black tendrils snaked from the villain’s hand and up the sides of the bus towards the windows. He remembered focusing on the vacant and lifeless stares of the two heroes on the ground by the villain’s feet, their eyes circled by domino masks. 

More heroes had appeared, of course. Or he wouldn’t be there to remember. But he couldn’t count on that always happening. On someone being quick enough all the time. 

Dex clenched his hand again. He should have spent more time on his project so that it would be ready before Nursey showed up. As soon as Nursey left, he’d try the inhibitor calibrated to inhibit death powers.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flora and(or) Fauna/Festival
> 
> Thank you to Ari for letting me use your dogs and for letting me imply you would do something as silly as take a dog with a phobia of loud noises to a music festival.
> 
> TW: newsclipping from super villain attack with death count.

Dex wasn’t sure how Nursey managed to talk him into going to a music festival at the end of June. But there they were, sleeping in Dex’s tent (with Nursey’s portable a/c) and surrounded by thousands of strangers. He ran his hand over his thigh where the new device was attached. There was nothing to worry about as long as his calculations were correct. And the components held up. 

It was fine. It was totally fine. He was petrified with fear, but it was fine. 

Which was probably why he didn’t rush Nursey when he took extra long getting ready for the show that evening. If he was being honest with himself, he would have been fine just staying at the tent with Nursey the whole time. It was still dangerous, but better than him in a crowd of drunk (and otherwise altered) strangers 

When the fireworks started going off, he flinched, but he kept it together. Or his device worked. Or both. 

“Chill! We’re missing the fireworks.” Nursey finally emerged from the tent, and he looked...spectacular.

Dex licked his lips. “You know. We could just stay here...the two of us.” 

Nursey arched a brow at him. “Chill?” He wrapped his arms around Dex’s waist, pulling him in close and sliding his hands into the back pockets of Dex’s jeans before slowly and languidly kissing him. “How ‘bout, we go watch the show since that’s what we came here for. Then afterward, we can revisit these thoughts about the two of us in the tent.”

“I think you’re missing the point of there’s no one else around right now.”

“I think you’re missing the point of, I don’t care who hears.”

“I do. But, if you want to go watch the performance _that_ bad. Okay.”

“Rain check til tomorrow?”

“Yeah, once we are back in civilization with the privacy of actual walls and locked doors.”

Nursey squeezed his butt. “You say the sexiest things.”

Dex pressed another quick peck to his lips. “If we’re doing this, then let’s go before you miss more of your show.”

They were about halfway through the tent city when a frazzled looking stranger ran up to them. “Have you seen two dogs come this way? One’s about this big and the other this big?” They held up their hands to indicate a couple of small to medium size dogs.

“Sorry, no.”

“Fuck. Ari is going to kill me. Zoe! Tonks!” They ran off through the tents again. 

Dex wasn’t surprised when he heard whimpering shortly after they got to the woods. As long as they weren’t full of people walking between the camp and the stages, the woods were one of the most peaceful places on the festival grounds. But the fireworks were still going off and they were loud. 

“Uh, Zoe? Tonks?” Nursey stepped off the path towards the whining and Dex followed. 

“Thought you wanted to get to the show.”

“Can’t leave two lost dogs alone in the woods.”

“I know.”

It didn’t take long to find the two dogs cowering by a tree. The smaller one was scrabbling against the bark, trying to find a way up. Another loud volley of fireworks went off, making Dex flinch again. Then he was hit by what felt like a physical wave of fear from the dogs. He looked down to see shadows pouring out of his hands. 

“Fuck. No. Nonononono. This can’t be happening.” He hadn’t even felt the device fail. He sank to his knees, unable to lift his gaze to see the life drain away from Nursey and the dogs.

* * *

_6 Civilians, 3 Heroes Dead As Lady La Morte Goes Rogue_

_Portland, ME. Just after 4 pm on Saturday afternoon, former local hero, Lady La Morte, went rogue, killing six civilians and three heroes before Klondike Kid and Piroshki Prodigy arrived and subdued the rogue hero. Anonymous sources from the scene report that Lady La Morte became unresponsive shortly before going rogue. No comment from the Superhero Institute has been issued at this time._

* * *

Nursey looked around at the increasing darkness. Somehow, even though it was significantly darker around them now, he didn’t have any trouble seeing anything he wanted to see. He knelt down near the dogs without facing them directly. 

“Hey girls. It’s ok. See. Dex is shutting out the bad sounds for us. Isn’t he awesome? Yeah. You’re safe now. We’re all safe now.” He slowly lifted his hand towards them until suddenly the small dog was in his lap and climbing onto his shoulder and the larger one was leaning against his leg. He held onto the small dog while settling into a more comfortable position and then set to work petting and reassuring them.

He kept glancing at Dex. Usually the protecting and taking care of part would be Dex’s domain, even if he did grump his way through it. Instead, Dex was kneeling on the ground and repeatedly hitting the side of his fist against the outside of his thigh while muttering something under his breath. 

“Hey, Dex? Darling protector of innocent doggos and fabulous boyfriends? I think the fireworks are over now. Do you want to take down the force field?”

Dex’s gaze jerked up sharply, and his brows furrowed in confusion. “Force field?”

Nursey shrugged. “IDK man. Some kind of sensory filtration zone or something? But it kept the noise out, so. Force field.”

For the first time in many minutes, Dex actually seemed to look around and take in what his powers had done. “You’re not dead.”

“No. Not to my knowledge.”

“I didn’t kill you.”

That deserved a pause and a blink. “Um. No. It’s chill. No killing.”

Dex’s eyes became rather shiny and his voice cracked a little when he spoke again. “I don’t- I don’t know how to take it down.”

“Hmm. Um. With the light, for me, I feel like a warmth in my chest and expanding out? And I can kind of mentally push on that warmth until it recedes. Is there anything like that for you?”

“All I feel is worry. But, ok. Yeah. I can control that.” 

The area around them lightened to the normal darkness of night in the woods, which somehow also dulled Nursey’s vision, leaving Dex and the dogs less distinct. At the same time, the noise from the stage filtered back in and the little dog started shaking on Nursey’s shoulder. 

“Hey, hey, Little Girl. It’s chill. Nursey’s got you. Are you Zoe, or are you Tonks.” 

At the second name, the larger of the dogs turned looked up at him with wide eyes, so he decided that she must be Tonks and the little one was Zoe. 

“Dex. Do you mind taking Zoe? I can carry Tonks since we don’t have a leash.”

He handed the dog over and then hefted the other one who weighed a lot more than she appeared to. He should have had Dex carry Tonks. Too late now. Luckily, they found the person who had been looking for the dogs fairly quickly and were able to get them back to their campsite safe and sound.

They ended up returning to their tent instead of trying to catch the last of the show. After he zipped the doorway, he turned to Dex. “Let me see it.”

“What?”

“Dex. You lied to me about not having powers. Clearly you knew you had some kind of powers. You were hitting the side of your leg and muttering about it not working. Let me see it.”

Dex had the decency to look abashed in the thin lantern light as he pushed his jeans off, exposing a wide elastic band around his thigh. The band was covered in mechanical and electronic components that Nursey didn’t pretend to understand. He could still recognize it for what it was.

“You lied to me about your powers. Not just kept them secret, but lied. And after I offered to get you a power inhibitor, you made one yourself even though you know how risky they are?” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning back to unzip the tent.

“Wh-where are you going?” 

“Out. I need to think for a little bit. Chill.” He paused partially out of the tent. “I’ll be back. Just. Give me a little time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow is the wrap up. Thanks for sticking with me on this.
> 
> Klondike Kid and Piroshki Prodigy are a nod to Snowy and Tater, but are not actually Snowy and Tater. Unless you think there are 10 year old (or so) superheroes running around, saving a bus full of 8 year olds.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sharing interests/Masks
> 
> TW: discussion of rogue super powers.

Nursey looked around the Superhero Institute training room. It appeared to be empty, but he was positive that Dex was there. He closed his eyes and turned around again. 

“Can I come in?”

When he opened his eyes, the room was filtered through sharp shadows and Dex was sitting on the ground in front of him. 

“Chill. Thanks. You don’t have to if you want to be alone.”

Dex reached his hands out towards Nursey, so he sank down in Dex’s lap. Dex’s reply was a bare murmur against Nursey’s cheek. “It’s ok. I’m just tired of peopling, but you aren’t always people.”

“I’m not always people?”

“No. Only when you try to be.”

“Chill. Ok. They figure out all your powers?”

“Yeah. I can do this wicked cool hidey room. I can make shadows be shadowier. And I can make like a wicked shadow shield. They want me to try making other shadow objects. Probably a weapon or something.”

“Chill. A shield seems mad useful.”

“I guess. Can keep you from spilling stuff on me.” Dex turned his head to stifle a yawn.

“You don’t want to learn to make weapons?”

“What am I gonna do with a weapon? ‘M not a hero.”

“You know. We could be. I mostly just have the glowing thing and the healing thing, but I can also do a shockwave sometimes? And I could keep you healed up.”

“Not putting on a domino mask, babe.”

Nursey was about to respond again when Dex took a deep breath. “D’you know who Lady La Morte was? Probably not. She was local to Portland. But she was a big name there. Big hero. Almost never used her powers even when fighting villains.”

“A hero? Called Lady The Dead?”

“Ayuh. She had death powers. Why she didn’t use them unless she had to. Was on a team with three other heroes, but she was my favorite. I saw her once. When I was eight. My mite team was going to a game on the bus. We almost never did that. But we did that day. And there she was with her team in the middle of downtown Portland. We were excited at first. We’d get to see her in action. Except. There weren’t any villains. The team was fighting her. Her eyes were blank and black. I guess her death powers took over.”

Dex stopped and shook his head. “It was in the papers in Maine. On the news. Probably didn’t make it to New York.”

Nursey nuzzled his nose against Dex’s neck. “That’s why you thought you’d killed me, huh? At the festival.”

“I’d do anything to stop that.”

“Chill. Thought we already established that you’d never let me get hurt.”

Dex’s arms tightened around Nursey’s waist and Nursey squeezed him in return.

“So, if you haven’t been working on forming weapons, what’s got you all tired out? Just that out of shape? Coach Hall is gonna be pissed.”

Dex huffed a laugh, a small one, but it was there. “Making big hidey rooms is easy. I wanted to try to make tiny hidey rooms. Not really rooms, though. Just enough for like my ears.”

Nursey leaned back and stared at Dex. “Your ears?”

“Yeah. To block out the sounds when it’s too much.”

“Oh. Chill. That would be useful, filtering earplugs.”

“Ayuh. That’s the idea.”

They sat for awhile longer, Nursey petting the back of Dex’s head gently while they nuzzled. 

“Thank you for coming here. I know you don’t like the SI.”

Dex’s shoulders shrugged under Nursey. “I don’t trust them. But you asked me to. So, of course.”

* * *

Dex stared at the paper. The words stared back at him.

> My soulmate once gave me a task  
>  "Let me in and take off your mask."  
>  So I bare all of me  
>  and allow him to see  
>  Anything else you want to know, just ask.

He wadded up the paper and threw it in the trash. A limerick. He was honestly offended on Nursey’s behalf that the universe had given him a soulmate that would even consider writing him a limerick. Nursey was a poetry guy. Nursey was sophisticated and elegant. And a bit of a disaster, sure. But Nursey was not a limerick guy. That was far too mundane. Pedestrian. Plebian.

Dex closed his notebook and threw it onto the bookshelf. He never should have tried to do this long hand. He was just going to end up using all the paper and killing a forest or something.

He turned to his computer and pulled up a web browser. There had to be a sophisticated type of poem that wouldn’t be too difficult for him to manage. The first result was “List of 100 Poetic Forms for Poets” which sounded promising. Ae Freislighe, Awdl Gywydd, Bref Double. He stared at the names of the forms and the brief descriptions for a moment before clicking the links. He nodded slowly and closed the tabs. 

What he needed was sophisticated for beginners.

He ran his hands over his face. He’d studied poetry in high school English. He knew poem types. There had to be one he could manage something decent in. 

Maybe a sonnet? Sonnets were good. Sonnets were romantic. Shakespeare wrote like a billion of them. Of course, Nursey considered Shakespeare to be an overhyped old white guy, so maybe emulating him was a bad idea. But maybe there were other types of sonnets? He went back to google to check.

* * *

Dex bounced on the balls of his feet and tried to count out his breaths. He was in a dark corner of the cafe, which he’d made even darker with his own shadows. 

He shouldn’t be here. This was Nursey’s thing. It was supposed to be healthy for couples to have outside interests and spend time with friends away from their partners. And Dex was here, invading Nursey’s space. He should leave. He should leave. He should leave.

“Up next, a new face to open mic night, William Poindexter.”

Nursey’s head snapped up at the emcee’s announcement and Dex watched as he realized the corner was darker than it should be. He let go of the shadows and smiled weakly at Nursey before making his way to the stage. 

“Hey. Uh. I’m not really a poetry guy, but my boyfriend wicked is and this is for him. So. Yeah.” Dex cleared his throat and looked at the paper he’d printed off before shoving it and his hands into his pockets.

> My boyfriend is the best by far.  
>  Brains and skill, humor and looks,  
>  (Though it is better if he never cooks).  
>  Undoubtedly, he is a star.  
>  I could never hope to reach his high bar.  
>  He pierces me with questioning looks  
>  Hoping to read me like one of his books,  
>  He traces every bruise, flaw, and scar.
> 
> It’s true, I hide parts of me.  
>  Fearing the cut of a sword,  
>  I hide behind a fencer’s mask.  
>  But if there’s anything you want to see  
>  You need but say the word.  
>  I’ll never deny you, just ask.

He nodded at the crowd. “Thank you.”

He hopped off the stage and headed for the door without looking around. He didn’t want to see what Nursey’s reaction would be. It wasn’t a good poem. He knew that. But he meant it. As soon as he was outside, he made a small hidey room and leaned against the wall of the building taking deep breaths. 

“Dex?” Nursey burst out of the door and looked around the empty street. 

Dex knew that he couldn’t be seen, even by Nursey, but then Nursey stopped and slowly turned in a circle until he was facing Dex. 

“Can I come in?”

Dex expanded the hidey room until Nursey was inside of it as well. 

“There you are, my sweet ginger flower. You wrote me a poem.” Nursey had stepped close enough that Dex could see his grin.

“Ayuh, but not a good one.”

“Lies. My soulmate wrote a poem just for me. A Petrarchan sonnet. And he doesn’t even like poetry. That makes it the best poem.”

By this point, Nursey was pressed close to Dex, hands on his hips and foreheads pressed together. 

“I shouldn’t have come, though. This is your space.”

“Chill. I doubt you’re going to make a habit of it, but even if you did, I like sharing things with you.” 

“I like sharing things with you, too.”

Nursey’s grin broadened. “I was hoping you’d say that. I know you’re still working on that inhibitor for your senior project. I also know that when you had me heal you last year it was because your prototype hurt you. So, I’m going to give you a card that you can use to get the materials you need.”

Dex opened his mouth to protest, but Nursey kissed him. 

“Nope. No protests. It’s for school, to make sure my soulmate gets his degree. It’s not a gift. Also, a sample size of one is bad science, even I know that. So, any devices you test on yourself, you also test on me.”

Nursey kissed him again, but this time Dex was ready when he pulled away. 

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Chill. I don’t want to get hurt, even though I have healing powers. I guess you better be real sure about the safety of any devices you decide to strap to the body of my boyfriend.”

Dex sighed. “Ok. Fine. It’s wicked weird, you being the protective one.”

“Chyeah. For you and me both. So stop putting yourself in danger on my account. It’s like you actually really want to be a hero.”

“No. No way. I told you, I don’t trust the SI. We don’t even have combat powers. And those little domino masks really do nothing to conceal identity.”

Nursey leaned in close again, his body pressing Dex into the wall and his lips brushing Dex’s ear. “What if we didn’t work for the SI. And we just...helped civilians escape while the heroes and villains fought it out.”

Dex opened his mouth but Nursey added on before he could say anything.

“And we’d wear better disguises than a domino mask.”

Dex closed his eyes. It did sound appealing. Helping the people who didn’t have a way to defend themselves. “Maybe. After graduation.”

Nursey captured his mouth again, this time in a long, deep kiss. After some amount of time that felt like hours, but was probably less than five minutes (probably), Dex pulled away. 

“We really shouldn’t make out in the middle of public.”

“We aren’t in public. We’re in a hidey room.”

“Which we can’t guarantee block _everyone_ from seeing. The bungalow, on the other hand, does.”

Nursey pulled back and studied his face. “Chill. You’ve convinced me. Change of venue. Lead the way, my wonderous wordsmith.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poetry portions take place after classes have started back up. The part at SI is kind of ambiguously between the Festival at the end of June and classes starting around the first of September. 
> 
> I guess if you have any questions, drop me a comment or an ask on tumbls. I've thought a lot about how this world works and not all of it ended up in the fic.
> 
> Thank you all for joining me for my unofficial NurseyDex Week, 2019. :D

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on Tumbls at [SexyDexyNurse](https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/).


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